Massachusetts' Monomoy Theatre Provides
Summer Forum for Ohio University Theater Students
Contact: Larry Lafferty, director of development for annual giving, (740) 593-2639
ATHENS, Ohio (June 12, 2000) -- Ohio University's School of Theater enters its 43rd season of affiliation this summer with the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham, Mass., on Cape Cod. The theater, which plays to sold-out audiences, will host eight productions in 10 weeks, ranging from musicals to Shakespeare performances. The 2000 season begins June 20 with "Damn Yankees."
Since 1958, the Ohio University's School of Theater has provided student workers for Monomoy Theatre productions, the brainchild of Elizabeth Baker, wife of former University President John Baker. The Bakers purchased the theatre to give Ohio University students the chance to gain professional experience during the summer.
Students are chosen during spring auditions on campus held by Ohio University alumnus and artistic director Alan Rust. Company members receive training and experience in acting, directing, technical aspects, set design and ticket office management and are fed and housed in a theater compound on Chatham's Main Street. Each student typically performs six or seven roles over the summer and works with accomplished theater professionals such as Jacques Cartier, Kathleen Conlin, Laura Esterman, Peter Hackett and Malcolm Morrison.
Bob Axline, BSCOM '57, and his wife, Jean, will host Monomoy Theatre Weekend on June 23-25. "We've done this for about 25 years, and we really enjoy it," said Axline, an Ohio University Foundation trustee. "It's incredible what these students do. They're studying one play, rehearsing another play and giving a play all at the same time."
Ohio University's College of Fine Arts has teamed with the Ohio University Alumni Chapter in Massachusetts serving New England and the Friends of Monomoy, a local support organization for the theater, to keep the proscenium theater a vibrant cultural entity in New England.
Last year, Ohio University's Development Office completed Phase I of its Campaign for Monomoy by raising $100,000. The money raised will help refurbish the theater and secure the future production quality of its performances. Phase II is underway with a goal of raising $50,000 for a new air conditioning system to be installed this summer.
The 2000 season schedule is as follows: "Damn Yankees," June 20-July 1; "The Glass Menagerie," July 4-8; "Lend Me a Tenor," July 11-15; "The Corn is Green," July 18-22; "Once in a Lifetime," Aug. 1-5; "Beauty Queen of Leenane," Aug. 8-12; "Arsenic and Old Lace," Aug. 15-19; "A Mid Summer Night's Dream," Aug. 22-26. To reserve tickets or for more information, call Jean Axline at 1-800-742-2273.
